The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-01
TUE UTE INDIANS.
The Tribes and Their Location-A Brief His
tory Of the Meeker Massacre
Colorado Letter.

| Colorado Letter.
The Ute Indians in general number some
| $500, and now divided into five different
tribes and then into smaller tribes or clans.
| Three tribes. the Mowatchees, the WINNIE
nutchas, and the Capotas, known the South
| ern Utes. occupy a reservation in the south
western corner of the State. The Ulntas and
White river Utes are near the northwestern
part of the State and across the line in Utah
| The Uncompahgres are some forty miles south,
at the Junction Of the Green ard White rivers
Fort Duchesne being midway between the two
agencies. Coorow and his band mum Der some
fifty families, and he count upon about
seventy warriors
The Ute differs from most Indians Of North
America in being short and chubby. with the
characteristic high cheekbones not prominent.
AS rule the bucks very gaudy in their
attire; war paint is used in profusion upon
almost all occasions. bright-colored Navajo
blankets, large silver breastplates, armlets,
finger and earrings, necklaces, feathers and fur
ornaments and mum berless little geweaws ador1
all parts of the person and dress. The squaws
rule not more than four feet six inches
to five feet in height.
Colorows band have reservation, and in
order to describe them and their position it is
necessary to refer to the Ute war of 1879 Colo
row then belonged to the White river Utes,
who were then White river, some 300 miles
west of Denver, in what is Garfield county,
The details of what is known the Meeker
massacre naturally recalled, and may be
briefly mentioned here. MIR. n. e. Meeker,
well-known Journalist and one of the founders
OF the Greeley colony, was appointed agent over
the White-river Utes. He a very con-
sclentious man in the discharge of his duties aud
in his desire to benefit the Indians. He labored
hard to establish school and to teach the young
men agriculture The Indians strong in
fhHir apa Gral In ylat
violent in their talk and actions. They tried to
intimldate and prevent the agency farmer from
ploughing the land. and at one time fired upon
him from their hiding places In the sage bushes.
Tn ey grew bold and insolent from day to day,
and on the night of Sept II they held war
dance dance about the agency buildings
to the government for protection, and
September "a four companies of cavalry, under
command of Major Thornburg. left point about
160 miles distant IN Wyoming and marched rap
idly to his relief, The Indians In the meantime
suspected that soldiers had been sent for, and
Old Colorow, with ten other Indians, was sent
out reconnoitre. They met Major Thorn
burgs command about six miles out from the
agency. They claimed to be out OF a hunting
expedition. professed perfect friendship and
said everything was quiet at the agency; but It
was noticed that they seemed to be taking
careful survey ard mental inventory of the
numbers and strength of the troops. and from
that time Thornburg kept his command as COM
pact possible TO guard against a surprise.
Two days later. while marching through mar
row canon the Ute war-whoop sounded. Both
canon walls were at once brlstlng with hostile
Indians. and every rock and tree seemed to
bech forth a leaden messenger. des-
perate attempt was made By the In
dams to cut the off from the wagon
train. Major Thornburg was killed az the very
outset. while leading a charge of twenty men.
The troops finally reached the wagon train and
hastily formed the wagons into line OF breast
works. The wagons were riddled with bullets,
but soon other breastworks were formed of dead
horses. The Indians continued to rain bullets
- Gr-t 40 80 foh&
but one was either killed wounded. Twelve
soldiers were killed and forty-two were wounded.
They were held in this way, like rats in a pit,
under almost constant fire, for SIX days and
nights, when General Merritt appeared with
four companies of cavalry and five of infantry
in wagons, having made the remarkable march
of 160 miles through this mountainous country
in forty eight hours.
While this six DAYS fight going on a
tragedy of darker hue was being enacted at
the agency. The Agent Meeker and all his en-
ployees were shot down in cold blood. and the
ladies of the family were taken captive The
torch was applied to the agency buildings, and
when Gen. Merritt arrived he found only
of snoulderine ruins, and ground strewn with
dead and mutilated bodies
At the close of this war the White-river Utes
were removed to the Ulnta reservation, across
the Utah line. They were paid, however, for all
their lands, and no punishment was melted out
to them. Coorow and his band refused to stay
the Uinta Reservation, and since that time
they have been "rovers, roaming up and down
the country about their old reservation at their
own will. to the great annoyance of all the set
tiers. The Immediate cause of the present trou
BILE an attempt the part of the sheriff of
Garfield county to arrest two Of these Indians
for horse-s stealing Volunteers from different
towns in the State have gone to the scene of
action. State and government troops have been
ordered out. Colorow has sent runners out to
the different tribes, and strong effort is being
made to cause general uprising. Three hun
dred Uintas said to have taken the war path,
and at present writing two fights have occurred,
the results of which are not known. l was at
n ham To- Nd yuhn Aoant
Stolstemer called into his Office Ignaeio, Ojo
Blanco, and other chiefs of the three tribes
and through an interpreter gave them the first
news of this outbreak. his object being tc
give them credible information regarding it
and its causes. before Colorow's runners arrived.
Time enough had not passed for runners to
reach them. and the news was n complete
prise. An Indian seldom allows his features to
express his thoughts, yet when the point
reached telling of Coorow's successful repulse
of the sheriff and his posse their radiant feat
ures plainly indexed the savage instinct that lies
smouldering in the breast of every Indian, but
troubled expression seemed finally to settle
down upon the older ones, which could read
at glance. 1t seemed to say: 81 am with you.
Colorow in heart and spirit, and my whole
natural desires are to join with you in this fun,
but what am to do with my squaws and pap
pooses. and ponies, and sheep, and goats" The
young and impulsive Indians DO not think be-
yond their savage desires. but the old chiefs as
they walked away, looked solemn and one could
easily read that their better judgment had al
ready told them that as they are situated 1t
would be disastrous to join In any uprising
against the whites. They have too
much at stake. Many of them are the
owners of IS to 100 ponies each Their
reservation is but narrow strip of land,
fifteen miles wide and one hundred long, and
in they took the war-path their squaws,
pappooses, and stock would have to be taken to
the high mountains north of the reservation.
The settlers and cowboys of this country
nearly familiar with the mountain passes and
trails the Utes themselves. An Indian
desires a fight except when he take his ad-
versary at disadvantage. and, l satisfied
that, however far the Uintas and Uncompahgres
may carry this war, there will be uprising of
the Southern Utes. One white man, reared in
the mountains and familiar with its trails and
with Indian characteristics and methods is
more than q matcn for two Indians. but the his
tory of the Apache and other late Indian
has proved an Indian to be match for one hun
dred soldiers Large bodies of soldiers cannot
successfully cope with Indians in a mountain
Gus country A few daring men distributed